Sugar-containing biomolecules, such as glycans and glycoconjugates, provide significant challenges in their characterization, quantification, purification, and structure elucidation. Such challenges stem from an inherent conformational complexity and structural diversity, as well as other physical features, such as instability to isolation conditions, high or low pH, or elevated temperatures.
These challenges are compounded when the biomolecule is provided in a complex mixture. Such a scenario demands use of separation techniques and careful handling of the sample. Most separations involve derivatization of the glycan with a suitable label (e.g., a chromophore), separation of a desired derivatized glycan from a mixture via a separation technique, purification, and so on, followed by structure determination. In some cases, the above methods may also include release of the glycan component from a glycoconjugate by chemical or enzymatic cleavage prior to derivatization and separation. While methods for separating glycan mixtures have been described in the art there remains a need for other methods.